Downstream tracking of content consumption

ABSTRACT

An example operation may include one or more of storing, within a blockchain, a request comprising an identifier of content and a value of a user who created the content, detecting consumption of a reusable instance of the content by a second user, designating fractional values of the content to the first and second users based on the detected consumption of the reusable instance, and storing, within the blockchain, a second request comprising an identifier of the reusable instance of the content, identifiers of the first and second users, and the designated fractional values of the content to the first and second users.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application generally relates to storing data on a blockchain, andmore particularly, to a system capable of tracking content as instancesof the content are consumed by entities downstream from an originalowner of the content.

BACKGROUND

A centralized database stores and maintains data in a single database(e.g., a database server) at one location. This location is often acentral computer, for example, a desktop central processing unit (CPU),a server CPU, or a mainframe computer. Information stored on acentralized database is typically accessible from multiple differentpoints. Multiple users or client workstations can work simultaneously onthe centralized database, for example, based on a client/serverconfiguration. A centralized database is easy to manage, maintain, andcontrol, especially for purposes of security because of its singlelocation. Within a centralized database, data redundancy is minimized asa single storing place of all data also implies that a given set of dataonly has one primary record.

However, a centralized database suffers from significant drawbacks. Forexample, a centralized database has a single point of failure if thereare no fault-tolerance considerations. Therefore, if a hardware failureoccurs (for example a hardware, firmware, and/or a software failure),all data within the database is lost and work of all users isinterrupted. In addition, centralized databases are highly dependent onnetwork connectivity. As a result, the slower the connection, the amountof time needed for each database access is increased. Another drawbackis the occurrence of bottlenecks when a centralized database experienceshigh traffic due to a single location. Furthermore, a centralizeddatabase provides limited access to data because only one copy of thedata is maintained by the database.

Organizations are recently turning to blockchain as a means for securelystoring data that is not restricted by a central entity and that isaccessible from multiple points. In a blockchain network, peers areresponsible for collectively managing and storing data on theblockchain. The blockchain may be stored on a ledger which isdistributed/replicated among the blockchain peers. Blockchain providesnew mechanisms for securing the interactions of non-trusting partiesthrough the use of a decentralized architecture.

Meanwhile, works of art including content such as music, movies, images,and the like, are often purchased or otherwise consumed through digitalmeans. In this type of environment, the content is usually in a digitalform which makes it highly susceptible to illegal copying anddistribution. There is difficulty tracking content once it has left thecreator's hands and other users receive no benefit from purchasing thecontent, especially when they can consume it for free As such, what isneeded is a solution that overcomes these drawbacks and limitations.

SUMMARY

One example embodiment provides a system that includes one or more of astorage configured to store, within a blockchain, a request thatcomprises an identifier of content and a value of a user who created thecontent, and a processor configured to one or more of detect consumptionof a reusable instance of the content by a second user, designatefractional values of the content to the first and second users based onthe detected consumption of the reusable instance, and store, within theblockchain, a second request that comprises an identifier of thereusable instance of the content, identifiers of the first and secondusers, and the designated fractional values to the first and secondusers.

Another example embodiment provides a method that includes one or moreof storing, within a blockchain, a request comprising an identifier ofcontent and a value of a user who created the content, detectingconsumption of a reusable instance of the content by a second user,designating fractional values of the content to the first and secondusers based on the detected consumption of the reusable instance, andstoring, within the blockchain, a second request comprising anidentifier of the reusable instance of the content, identifiers of thefirst and second users, and the designated fractional values of thecontent to the first and second users.

A further example embodiment provides a non-transitory computer-readablemedium comprising instructions, that when read by a processor, cause theprocessor to perform one or more of storing, within a blockchain, arequest comprising an identifier of content and a value of a user whocreated the content, detecting consumption of a reusable instance of thecontent by a second user, designating fractional values of the contentto the first and second users based on the detected consumption of thereusable instance, and storing, within the blockchain, a second requestcomprising an identifier of the reusable instance of the content,identifiers of the first and second users, and the designated fractionalvalues of the content to the first and second users.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram that illustrates a blockchain system for trackingcontent as it moves downstream according to example embodiments.

FIG. 2A is a diagram that illustrates a blockchain architectureconfiguration, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 2B is a diagram that illustrates a blockchain transactional flow,according to example embodiments.

FIG. 3A is a diagram that illustrates a permissioned blockchain network,according to example embodiments.

FIG. 3B is a diagram that illustrates another permissioned blockchainnetwork, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 3C is a diagram that illustrates a permissionless blockchainnetwork, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 4A is a diagram that illustrates a process of tracking an asset asit moves downstream according to example embodiments.

FIG. 4B is a diagram that illustrates fractional data for tracking theasset via blockchain according to example embodiments.

FIG. 4C is a diagram that illustrates a template for storing contentbased on a content type according to example embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a diagram that illustrates a method of tracking contentdownstream via blockchain according to example embodiments.

FIG. 6A is a diagram that illustrates an example system configured toperform one or more operations described herein, according to exampleembodiments.

FIG. 6B is a diagram that illustrates another example system configuredto perform one or more operations described herein, according to exampleembodiments.

FIG. 6C is a diagram that illustrates a further example systemconfigured to utilize a smart contract, according to exampleembodiments.

FIG. 6D is a diagram that illustrates yet another example systemconfigured to utilize a blockchain, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 7A is a diagram that illustrates a process of a new block beingadded to a distributed ledger, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 7B is a diagram that illustrates contents of a new data block,according to example embodiments.

FIG. 7C is a diagram that illustrates a blockchain for digital content,according to example embodiments.

FIG. 7D is a diagram that illustrates a block which may represent thestructure of blocks in the blockchain, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 8A is a diagram that illustrates an example blockchain which storesmachine learning (artificial intelligence) data, according to exampleembodiments.

FIG. 8B is a diagram that illustrates an example quantum-secureblockchain, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a diagram that illustrates an example system that supports oneor more of the example embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be readily understood that the instant components, as generallydescribed and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged anddesigned in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, thefollowing detailed description of the embodiments of at least one of amethod, apparatus, non-transitory computer readable medium and system,as represented in the attached figures, is not intended to limit thescope of the application as claimed but is merely representative ofselected embodiments.

The instant features, structures, or characteristics as describedthroughout this specification may be combined or removed in any suitablemanner in one or more embodiments. For example, the usage of the phrases“example embodiments”, “some embodiments”, or other similar language,throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with theembodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearancesof the phrases “example embodiments”, “in some embodiments”, “in otherembodiments”, or other similar language, throughout this specificationdo not necessarily all refer to the same group of embodiments, and thedescribed features, structures, or characteristics may be combined orremoved in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Further, inthe diagrams, any connection between elements can permit one-way and/ortwo-way communication even if the depicted connection is a one-way ortwo-way arrow. Also, any device depicted in the drawings can be adifferent device. For example, if a mobile device is shown sendinginformation, a wired device could also be used to send the information.

In addition, while the term “message” may have been used in thedescription of embodiments, the application may be applied to many typesof networks and data. Furthermore, while certain types of connections,messages, and signaling may be depicted in exemplary embodiments, theapplication is not limited to a certain type of connection, message, andsignaling.

Example embodiments provide methods, systems, components, non-transitorycomputer readable media, devices, and/or networks, for tracking assetsas they move downstream from an original owner via blockchain.

In one embodiment the application utilizes a decentralized database(such as a blockchain) that is a distributed storage system, whichincludes multiple nodes that communicate with each other. Thedecentralized database includes an append-only immutable data structureresembling a distributed ledger capable of maintaining records betweenmutually untrusted parties. The untrusted parties are referred to hereinas peers or peer nodes. Each peer maintains a copy of the databaserecords and no single peer can modify the database records without aconsensus being reached among the distributed peers. For example, thepeers may execute a consensus protocol to validate blockchain storagetransactions, group the storage transactions into blocks, and build ahash chain over the blocks. This process forms the ledger by orderingthe storage transactions, as is necessary, for consistency. In variousembodiments, a permissioned and/or a permissionless blockchain can beused. In a public or permission-less blockchain, anyone can participatewithout a specific identity. Public blockchains can involve nativecryptocurrency and use consensus based on various protocols such asProof of Work (PoW). On the other hand, a permissioned blockchaindatabase provides secure interactions among a group of entities whichshare a common goal but which do not fully trust one another, such asbusinesses that exchange funds, goods, information, and the like.

This application can utilize a blockchain that operates arbitrary,programmable logic, tailored to a decentralized storage scheme andreferred to as “smart contracts” or “chaincodes.” In some cases,specialized chaincodes may exist for management functions and parameterswhich are referred to as system chaincode. The application can furtherutilize smart contracts that are trusted distributed applications whichleverage tamper-proof properties of the blockchain database and anunderlying agreement between nodes, which is referred to as anendorsement or endorsement policy. Blockchain transactions associatedwith this application can be “endorsed” before being committed to theblockchain while transactions, which are not endorsed, are disregarded.An endorsement policy allows chaincode to specify endorsers for atransaction in the form of a set of peer nodes that are necessary forendorsement. When a client sends the transaction to the peers specifiedin the endorsement policy, the transaction is executed to validate thetransaction. After validation, the transactions enter an ordering phasein which a consensus protocol is used to produce an ordered sequence ofendorsed transactions grouped into blocks.

This application can utilize nodes that are the communication entitiesof the blockchain system. A “node” may perform a logical function in thesense that multiple nodes of different types can run on the samephysical server. Nodes are grouped in trust domains and are associatedwith logical entities that control them in various ways. Nodes mayinclude different types, such as a client or submitting-client nodewhich submits a transaction-invocation to an endorser (e.g., peer), andbroadcasts transaction-proposals to an ordering service (e.g., orderingnode). Another type of node is a peer node which can receive clientsubmitted transactions, commit the transactions and maintain a state anda copy of the ledger of blockchain transactions. Peers can also have therole of an endorser, although it is not a requirement. Anordering-service-node or orderer is a node running the communicationservice for all nodes, and which implements a delivery guarantee, suchas a broadcast to each of the peer nodes in the system when committingtransactions and modifying a world state of the blockchain, which isanother name for the initial blockchain transaction which normallyincludes control and setup information.

This application can utilize a ledger that is a sequenced,tamper-resistant record of all state transitions of a blockchain. Statetransitions may result from chaincode invocations (i.e., transactions)submitted by participating parties (e.g., client nodes, ordering nodes,endorser nodes, peer nodes, etc.). Each participating party (such as apeer node) can maintain a copy of the ledger. A transaction may resultin a set of asset key-value pairs being committed to the ledger as oneor more operands, such as creates, updates, deletes, and the like. Theledger includes a blockchain (also referred to as a chain) which is usedto store an immutable, sequenced record in blocks. The ledger alsoincludes a state database which maintains a current state of theblockchain.

This application can utilize a chain that is a transaction log which isstructured as hash-linked blocks, and each block contains a sequence ofN transactions where N is equal to or greater than one. The block headerincludes a hash of the block's transactions, as well as a hash of theprior block's header. In this way, all transactions on the ledger may besequenced and cryptographically linked together. Accordingly, it is notpossible to tamper with the ledger data without breaking the hash links.A hash of a most recently added blockchain block represents everytransaction on the chain that has come before it, making it possible toensure that all peer nodes are in a consistent and trusted state. Thechain may be stored on a peer node file system (i.e., local, attachedstorage, cloud, etc.), efficiently supporting the append-only nature ofthe blockchain workload.

The current state of the immutable ledger represents the latest valuesfor all keys that are included in the chain transaction log. Since thecurrent state represents the latest key values known to a channel, it issometimes referred to as a world state. Chaincode invocations executetransactions against the current state data of the ledger. To make thesechaincode interactions efficient, the latest values of the keys may bestored in a state database. The state database may be simply an indexedview into the chain's transaction log, it can therefore be regeneratedfrom the chain at any time. The state database may automatically berecovered (or generated if needed) upon peer node startup, and beforetransactions are accepted.

The nature of most creative processes is iterative. Consequently, thereare often byproducts associated to such refinement process. In addition,new creations can result from inspiration of existing work, a clever mixof new work and existing work, and the like. The old work can beincluded as is or with transformations. Authors of existing work areoften unaware that their creation is being used (transformed or not) inpieces created by other authors. They are not aware that their work isan inspiring piece of new work. At present, there is no mechanism toincentivize the creator of the new work to reveal the connection withthe pre-existing work and/or inspiring artist.

Today discovery and tracking of such multi-author (multi-artist) work isdone mostly in a professional environment for works such as content,music, film, media creation, and the like. However, due to thetechnological advances in equipment there is a lot of work being createdin non-professional environments (e.g., in garages and on phones). Inshort there is no mechanism to encourage authorized copies, derivativework, and/or acknowledgment on inclusion of existing work/previous art.The challenge is to provide a way for the original author to beaccurately compensated, a new author to become a trend setter, and bothauthors, i.e. of the original piece and new piece, to leverage eachother position. For example, the original author's work may be morewell-known while and the artistic spin provided by the new author may beable to reach a new audience.

As described herein, “content” may refer to works such as music, videos,film, paintings, drawings, books, Internet videos, podcasts, blogentries, tweets, and the like, which may be initially created by a firstuser (owner) and subsequently consumed by other users. Content,especially content in digital form, can be difficult to track once ithas left possession of the original owner. Part of the problem is thatthere is no benefit to a consumer of the content to purchase suchcontent if a copy of the content is available for free (even throughimproper means).

As an example, current solutions in the music industry target bigrecording studios, not small studios or garage recordings. Furthermore,at present there is no way to provide an incentive to influencers ofartists or regular consumers to participate in the downstream sale oftheir content. Rather, for the most part, todays systems are operatingat a root level (from the creator to the first buyer) rather thantracking downstream usage of the content. Further, each jurisdiction mayhave its own rules to define how content may be copied and royaltiesthat result. For example, a writer of a song may be entitled to oneshare, while producers, the recording studio, and the musicians areentitled to nothing.

The example embodiments overcome these deficiencies through the use of ablockchain-enabled tracking platform which can track the downstreamconsumption of content (e.g., assets) from one user to the next, andalso reward downstream users that are part of the chain of consumption.In other words, the example embodiments create a trackable long-taildistribution channel where instances/copies of content can be trackedand fractional value can be allocated to downstream users for being“influencers” of the distribution. For example, a portion or a sample ofa song may be consumed by other users and tracked via the blockchain.Samples may include rhythm, melody, speech, or other sounds which mayintegrated using samplers or software such as digital audioworkstations. Permission from both the owner of the sound recording andthe copyright owner of the musical work are typically needed before aninstance of the song (or portion thereof) can be copied. However,enticing a user to purchase a legal copy of the song can be difficultwhen bootlegged or other unlawful copies of the song can be download forfree through other channels.

The blockchain-enabled platform may allocate a fractional value of thecontent (e.g., the instance of the song) to the user that downloads thesong, in addition to the value allocated to the original owner of thesong. The fractional value may be stored within metadata of the content.Accordingly, when a second user downloads an instance of the song, thefirst user (first downloader) receives a fractional reward for suchdownload just as the original owner receives a reward. This fractionalinterest can be tracked via the blockchain through the metadata or tagswhich can be stored with an identifier of the asset on the blockchain.Furthermore, the second user may also receive a fractional value in thesong, for any subsequent downloads. This process may be repeatedindefinitely or until a predetermined number of downloads occur. Itshould also be appreciated that songs are just one example of contentthat can be tracked through the blockchain. Other examples include film,web-based videos, books, journal entries, newspaper columns, blogs,tweets, movies, and the like.

For example, professors may provide students with a list of severaltextbooks because they are going to use only some chapters or sectionsof each book. For example, a professor may believe that a specific topicis described better by one book than in the other books. The exampleembodiments allow for a fractional asset (partial content of the book)to be defined and tracked via the blockchain. The partialcontent/fractional asset may include one or more chapters, sections,pages of the book, etc., which are going to be needed by the student. Inthis way, specific pages can have more value than another whole chapter.

Also, downstream users may receive an authorized copy of the content andmake a new content (which includes newly created material) based on thecopy of the content. Such use of the content may be subject torestrictions (e.g., permissions, etc.) which may also be stored inmetadata of the asset on the blockchain. For example, a user could addbonus materials, extra footage/scenes, new verses to a song, etc. Thedownstream user who makes such changes can now be given an interest(fractional) in their changes to the original content and thus becompensated accordingly by subsequent users that copy such content.

The blockchain platform may turn assets into limited-spend blockchainassets with chaincode that enforces royalties while following along-tail distribution. While users may still illegally download a copyof content to defeat regulations (e.g., digital rights management,etc.), this just provides the unauthorized user with a copy withoutbeing part of a longer-tailed distribution chain. Meanwhile, anauthorized copier of the instance may be added to an endless money chain(fractional interest) which can be tracked via blockchain.

Furthermore, content that is created based off of the original contentcan also be rewarded. For example, cutting room floor assets that do notmake it into a film may be grouped into a promotional contentopportunity that further promotes the film. In this example, the assetsmay not be part of the original content but they may still be trackedbased on the blockchain platform described herein. Furthermore, rewardsmay be given not only to the original creator but any additional userswho enhance or otherwise change the content for the better. Thisfractional value allocated to other users may be recorded on theblockchain, for example, within metadata or tags along with anidentifier of the asset.

In the example embodiments, each consumption of a content assetgenerates a revenue stream back to all past owners of that asset indecreasing percentages, defeating incentive to make copies. In otherwords, the user isn't just consuming a piece of content but ratherinserting themselves into a position of an ongoing revenue stream.Furthermore, the original rights holders also receive revenue streamfrom each downstream consumption. As a result, the system not onlyprovides a mechanism for rewarding authorized consumers, but also asystem for tracking and transparency of use of the asset which couldsomeday be used to replace today's complex tangle of bilateralarrangements between royalty rights holders, distributors,re-transmitters, payment collectors, claimants, and the like.

Some of the benefits of the blockchain tracking system include linkageand optimized replication of assets across a network. Assets may bestored on the blockchain based on a template (class) of asset that isbuilt into a blockchain framework. In addition, sub-assets (orfractional assets) may be spawned from the initial template making iteasy to track partial forms of the content as it moves downstream. Insome embodiments, content identifiers may be recorded on the blockchain,along with an owner identifier, a fractional owner identifier, meta dataor meta tags with information on usage and non-usage (permissions) mayalso be stored with the asset data on the blockchain. Thus, restrictionson use can be placed on the content as it moves downstream, even afterit has left control of the original owner. Furthermore, the embodimentsherein could not be implemented through a traditional database becauseonly blockchain provides an infrastructure that is transactional innature, has smart contracts to enforce asset usage/transfer andimmutability to facilitate transparency (leading to distribution).

Furthermore, through the use of blockchain, the example embodimentsunlock untapped value in media assets (digital content) and medianetworks not previously available. The blockchain platform hereinprovides a mechanism by which secondary/derivative consumers of contentcan be tracked enabling transparency across a complex scenario ofmedia/content consumption. The result is a fundamental change in howdigital rights management is performed. Blockchain provides a foundationfor transactional applications which establishes trust, accountabilityand transparency. Blockchain technology allows for the creation,transfer and auditing of digital assets. The distributed ledger makes iteasier to create cost-efficient business networks where virtuallyanything of value can be tracked and trade without requiring a centralpoint of control.

In addition, the blockchain platform can also be used to restrict orotherwise prohibit use of the content downstream. For example, metadatamay be stored on the blockchain along with the identifier of thecontent. The metadata may include restrictions on who can copy/reuse thecontent, how many times the content can be reused, geographicalrestrictions, timing restrictions, compensation restrictions, and thelike. Other types of examples of restrictions may include whether thecontent is being used in whole or in part, whether the content is simplybeing consumed for personal use or incorporated into a new work (whichmay be prohibited), or the like.

FIG. 1 illustrates a blockchain system 100 for tracking content as itmoves downstream according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1,a plurality of blockchain peers 121-126 manage and control access to ablockchain 120. Here, the blockchain peers 121-126 may not be trustingparties with one another. Rather, the blockchain peers 121-126 may sharein control over the data that is added to the blockchain 120 usingendorsement and consensus protocols. In this example, clients (e.g.,such as client 110) may store content (or identifiers of the contentinstead of the actual content) on the blockchain 120 where it can betracked as it is consumed. Examples of the type of content includewritings (e.g., books, articles, blogs, tweets, etc.), music (e.g.,songs, jingles, rifts, etc.), art (e.g., digital copies of images,paintings, drawings, etc.), pictures, Internet content such as videos,etc., film, movies, videos, and the like. There is no limit to the typesof works of art that can be stored on the blockchain.

According to various embodiments, the content may be embodied in digitalform enabling it to be copied and reused. The copies may be referred toherein as instances of the content. When a user downloads or otherwiseconsumes a piece of content which is being tracked via the blockchain120, the transaction may be stored on the blockchain 120 via one or moreof the blockchain peers 121-126. For example, the transaction mayinclude a unique identifier of the content, an identifier of the userthat consumes the content, a fractional interest given to the user (andother previous users), metadata/tags restricting further usage of thecontent, and the like. Each time the instance of the content is consumed(or reused), the process may be repeated and a new user may be added tothe chain while preserving the previous users who have an interest inthe content as well.

One non-limiting use case for the blockchain described herein is toenable users (such as movie producers) to promote their titles whilemonetizing unused footage in a database-powered net-promoterdistribution channel that uses the blockchain to enforce scarcity of therights to on-sell footage assets. In this example, each sale of a filmasset generates a revenue stream back to all past owners of that assetin decreasing percentages, defeating incentive to make copies. In otherwords, the user isn't just buying a copy of the film, they are buying apiece of an ongoing revenue stream which is trackable via theblockchain. Royalty rights holders may also receive a revenue streamfrom each sale of the film. As another example, the platform mayimplement a “trojan horse” focused on making wasted footage into ascarce collectible for promotion of the original film and long-tailmonetization bootstraps a royalty blockchain that radically improvestracking and transparency of royalties and residuals.

FIG. 2A illustrates a blockchain architecture configuration 200,according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 2A, the blockchainarchitecture 200 may include certain blockchain elements, for example, agroup of blockchain nodes 202. The blockchain nodes 202 may include oneor more nodes 204-210 (these four nodes are depicted by example only).These nodes participate in a number of activities, such as blockchaintransaction addition and validation process (consensus). One or more ofthe blockchain nodes 204-210 may endorse transactions based onendorsement policy and may provide an ordering service for allblockchain nodes in the architecture 200. A blockchain node may initiatea blockchain authentication and seek to write to a blockchain immutableledger stored in blockchain layer 216, a copy of which may also bestored on the underpinning physical infrastructure 214. The blockchainconfiguration may include one or more applications 224 which are linkedto application programming interfaces (APIs) 222 to access and executestored program/application code 220 (e.g., chaincode, smart contracts,etc.) which can be created according to a customized configurationsought by participants and can maintain their own state, control theirown assets, and receive external information. This can be deployed as atransaction and installed, via appending to the distributed ledger, onall blockchain nodes 204-210.

The blockchain base or platform 212 may include various layers ofblockchain data, services (e.g., cryptographic trust services, virtualexecution environment, etc.), and underpinning physical computerinfrastructure that may be used to receive and store new transactionsand provide access to auditors which are seeking to access data entries.The blockchain layer 216 may expose an interface that provides access tothe virtual execution environment necessary to process the program codeand engage the physical infrastructure 214. Cryptographic trust services218 may be used to verify transactions such as asset exchangetransactions and keep information private.

The blockchain architecture configuration of FIG. 2A may process andexecute program/application code 220 via one or more interfaces exposed,and services provided, by blockchain platform 212. The code 220 maycontrol blockchain assets. For example, the code 220 can store andtransfer data, and may be executed by nodes 204-210 in the form of asmart contract and associated chaincode with conditions or other codeelements subject to its execution. As a non-limiting example, smartcontracts may be created to execute reminders, updates, and/or othernotifications subject to the changes, updates, etc. The smart contractscan themselves be used to identify rules associated with authorizationand access requirements and usage of the ledger. For example, read data226 may be processed by one or more processing entities (e.g., virtualmachines) included in the blockchain layer 216 to create processingresults to be written to the blockchain which include write data 228.The physical infrastructure 214 may be utilized to retrieve any of thedata or information described herein.

A smart contract may be created via a high-level application andprogramming language, and then written to a block in the blockchain. Thesmart contract may include executable code which is registered, stored,and/or replicated with a blockchain (e.g., distributed network ofblockchain peers). A transaction is an execution of the smart contractcode which can be performed in response to conditions associated withthe smart contract being satisfied. The executing of the smart contractmay trigger a trusted modification(s) to a state of a digital blockchainledger. The modification(s) to the blockchain ledger caused by the smartcontract execution may be automatically replicated throughout thedistributed network of blockchain peers through one or more consensusprotocols.

The smart contract may write data to the blockchain in the format ofkey-value pairs. Furthermore, the smart contract code can read thevalues stored in a blockchain and use them in application operations.The smart contract code can write the output of various logic operationsinto the blockchain. The code may be used to create a temporary datastructure in a virtual machine or other computing platform. Data writtento the blockchain can be public and/or can be encrypted and maintainedas private. The temporary data that is used/generated by the smartcontract is held in memory by the supplied execution environment, thendeleted once the data needed for the blockchain is identified.

A chaincode may include the code interpretation of a smart contract,with additional features. As described herein, the chaincode may beprogram code deployed on a computing network, where it is executed andvalidated by chain validators together during a consensus process. Thechaincode receives a hash and retrieves from the blockchain a hashassociated with the data template created by use of a previously storedfeature extractor. If the hashes of the hash identifier and the hashcreated from the stored identifier template data match, then thechaincode sends an authorization key to the requested service. Thechaincode may write to the blockchain data associated with thecryptographic details.

FIG. 2B illustrates an example of a blockchain transactional flow 250between nodes of the blockchain in accordance with an exampleembodiment. Referring to FIG. 2B, the transaction flow may include atransaction proposal 291 sent by an application client node 260 to anendorsing peer node 281. The endorsing peer 281 may verify the clientsignature and execute a chaincode function to initiate the transaction.The output may include the chaincode results, a set of key/valueversions that were read in the chaincode (read set), and the set ofkeys/values that were written in chaincode (write set). The proposalresponse 292 is sent back to the client 260 along with an endorsementsignature, if approved. The client 260 assembles the endorsements into atransaction payload 293 and broadcasts it to an ordering service node284. The ordering service node 284 then delivers ordered transactions asblocks to all peers 281-283 on a channel. Before committal to theblockchain, each peer 281-283 may validate the transaction. For example,the peers may check the endorsement policy to ensure that the correctallotment of the specified peers have signed the results andauthenticated the signatures against the transaction payload 293.

Referring again to FIG. 2B, the client node 260 initiates thetransaction 291 by constructing and sending a request to the peer node281, which is an endorser. The client 260 may include an applicationleveraging a supported software development kit (SDK), which utilizes anavailable API to generate a transaction proposal. The proposal is arequest to invoke a chaincode function so that data can be read and/orwritten to the ledger (i.e., write new key value pairs for the assets).The SDK may serve as a shim to package the transaction proposal into aproperly architected format (e.g., protocol buffer over a remoteprocedure call (RPC)) and take the client's cryptographic credentials toproduce a unique signature for the transaction proposal.

In response, the endorsing peer node 281 may verify (a) that thetransaction proposal is well formed, (b) the transaction has not beensubmitted already in the past (replay-attack protection), (c) thesignature is valid, and (d) that the submitter (client 260, in theexample) is properly authorized to perform the proposed operation onthat channel. The endorsing peer node 281 may take the transactionproposal inputs as arguments to the invoked chaincode function. Thechaincode is then executed against a current state database to producetransaction results including a response value, read set, and write set.However, no updates are made to the ledger at this point. In 292, theset of values, along with the endorsing peer node's 281 signature ispassed back as a proposal response 292 to the SDK of the client 260which parses the payload for the application to consume.

In response, the application of the client 260 inspects/verifies theendorsing peers signatures and compares the proposal responses todetermine if the proposal response is the same. If the chaincode onlyqueried the ledger, the application would inspect the query response andwould typically not submit the transaction to the ordering node service284. If the client application intends to submit the transaction to theordering node service 284 to update the ledger, the applicationdetermines if the specified endorsement policy has been fulfilled beforesubmitting (i.e., did all peer nodes necessary for the transactionendorse the transaction). Here, the client may include only one ofmultiple parties to the transaction. In this case, each client may havetheir own endorsing node, and each endorsing node will need to endorsethe transaction. The architecture is such that even if an applicationselects not to inspect responses or otherwise forwards an unendorsedtransaction, the endorsement policy will still be enforced by peers andupheld at the commit validation phase.

After successful inspection, in step 293 the client 260 assemblesendorsements into a transaction and broadcasts the transaction proposaland response within a transaction message to the ordering node 284. Thetransaction may contain the read/write sets, the endorsing peerssignatures and a channel ID. The ordering node 284 does not need toinspect the entire content of a transaction in order to perform itsoperation, instead the ordering node 284 may simply receive transactionsfrom all channels in the network, order them chronologically by channel,and create blocks of transactions per channel.

The blocks of the transaction are delivered from the ordering node 284to all peer nodes 281-283 on the channel. The transactions 294 withinthe block are validated to ensure any endorsement policy is fulfilledand to ensure that there have been no changes to ledger state for readset variables since the read set was generated by the transactionexecution. Transactions in the block are tagged as being valid orinvalid. Furthermore, in step 295 each peer node 281-283 appends theblock to the channel's chain, and for each valid transaction the writesets are committed to current state database. An event is emitted, tonotify the client application that the transaction (invocation) has beenimmutably appended to the chain, as well as to notify whether thetransaction was validated or invalidated.

FIG. 3A illustrates an example of a permissioned blockchain network 300,which features a distributed, decentralized peer-to-peer architecture.In this example, a blockchain user 302 may initiate a transaction to thepermissioned blockchain 304. In this example, the transaction can be adeploy, invoke, or query, and may be issued through a client-sideapplication leveraging an SDK, directly through an API, etc. Networksmay provide access to a regulator 306, such as an auditor. A blockchainnetwork operator 308 manages member permissions, such as enrolling theregulator 306 as an “auditor” and the blockchain user 302 as a “client”.An auditor could be restricted only to querying the ledger whereas aclient could be authorized to deploy, invoke, and query certain types ofchaincode.

A blockchain developer 310 can write chaincode and client-sideapplications. The blockchain developer 310 can deploy chaincode directlyto the network through an interface. To include credentials from atraditional data source 312 in chaincode, the developer 310 could use anout-of-band connection to access the data. In this example, theblockchain user 302 connects to the permissioned blockchain 304 througha peer node 314. Before proceeding with any transactions, the peer node314 retrieves the user's enrollment and transaction certificates from acertificate authority 316, which manages user roles and permissions. Insome cases, blockchain users must possess these digital certificates inorder to transact on the permissioned blockchain 304. Meanwhile, a userattempting to utilize chaincode may be required to verify theircredentials on the traditional data source 312. To confirm the user'sauthorization, chaincode can use an out-of-band connection to this datathrough a traditional processing platform 318.

FIG. 3B illustrates another example of a permissioned blockchain network320, which features a distributed, decentralized peer-to-peerarchitecture. In this example, a blockchain user 322 may submit atransaction to the permissioned blockchain 324. In this example, thetransaction can be a deploy, invoke, or query, and may be issued througha client-side application leveraging an SDK, directly through an API,etc. Networks may provide access to a regulator 326, such as an auditor.A blockchain network operator 328 manages member permissions, such asenrolling the regulator 326 as an “auditor” and the blockchain user 322as a “client”. An auditor could be restricted only to querying theledger whereas a client could be authorized to deploy, invoke, and querycertain types of chaincode.

A blockchain developer 330 writes chaincode and client-sideapplications. The blockchain developer 330 can deploy chaincode directlyto the network through an interface. To include credentials from atraditional data source 332 in chaincode, the developer 330 could use anout-of-band connection to access the data. In this example, theblockchain user 322 connects to the network through a peer node 334.Before proceeding with any transactions, the peer node 334 retrieves theuser's enrollment and transaction certificates from the certificateauthority 336. In some cases, blockchain users must possess thesedigital certificates in order to transact on the permissioned blockchain324. Meanwhile, a user attempting to utilize chaincode may be requiredto verify their credentials on the traditional data source 332. Toconfirm the user's authorization, chaincode can use an out-of-bandconnection to this data through a traditional processing platform 338.

In some embodiments, the blockchain herein may be a permissionlessblockchain. In contrast with permissioned blockchains which requirepermission to join, anyone can join a permissionless blockchain. Forexample, to join a permissionless blockchain a user may create apersonal address and begin interacting with the network, by submittingtransactions, and hence adding entries to the ledger. Additionally, allparties have the choice of running a node on the system and employingthe mining protocols to help verify transactions.

FIG. 3C illustrates a process 350 of a transaction being processed by apermissionless blockchain 352 including a plurality of nodes 354. Asender 356 desires to send payment or some other form of value (e.g., adeed, medical records, a contract, a good, a service, or any other assetthat can be encapsulated in a digital record) to a recipient 358 via thepermissionless blockchain 352. In one embodiment, each of the senderdevice 356 and the recipient device 358 may have digital wallets(associated with the blockchain 352) that provide user interfacecontrols and a display of transaction parameters. In response, thetransaction is broadcast throughout the blockchain 352 to the nodes 354.Depending on the blockchain's 352 network parameters the nodes verify360 the transaction based on rules (which may be pre-defined ordynamically allocated) established by the permissionless blockchain 352creators. For example, this may include verifying identities of theparties involved, etc. The transaction may be verified immediately or itmay be placed in a queue with other transactions and the nodes 354determine if the transactions are valid based on a set of network rules.

In structure 362, valid transactions are formed into a block and sealedwith a lock (hash). This process may be performed by mining nodes amongthe nodes 354. Mining nodes may utilize additional software specificallyfor mining and creating blocks for the permissionless blockchain 352.Each block may be identified by a hash (e.g., 256 bit number, etc.)created using an algorithm agreed upon by the network. Each block mayinclude a header, a pointer or reference to a hash of a previous block'sheader in the chain, and a group of valid transactions. The reference tothe previous block's hash is associated with the creation of the secureindependent chain of blocks.

Before blocks can be added to the blockchain, the blocks must bevalidated. Validation for the permissionless blockchain 352 may includea proof-of-work (PoW) which is a solution to a puzzle derived from theblock's header. Although not shown in the example of FIG. 3C, anotherprocess for validating a block is proof-of-stake. Unlike theproof-of-work, where the algorithm rewards miners who solve mathematicalproblems, with the proof of stake, a creator of a new block is chosen ina deterministic way, depending on its wealth, also defined as “stake.”Then, a similar proof is performed by the selected/chosen node.

With mining 364, nodes try to solve the block by making incrementalchanges to one variable until the solution satisfies a network-widetarget. This creates the PoW thereby ensuring correct answers. In otherwords, a potential solution must prove that computing resources weredrained in solving the problem. In some types of permissionlessblockchains, miners may be rewarded with value (e.g., coins, etc.) forcorrectly mining a block.

Here, the PoW process, alongside the chaining of blocks, makesmodifications of the blockchain extremely difficult, as an attacker mustmodify all subsequent blocks in order for the modifications of one blockto be accepted. Furthermore, as new blocks are mined, the difficulty ofmodifying a block increases, and the number of subsequent blocksincreases. With distribution 366, the successfully validated block isdistributed through the permissionless blockchain 352 and all nodes 354add the block to a majority chain which is the permissionlessblockchain's 352 auditable ledger. Furthermore, the value in thetransaction submitted by the sender 356 is deposited or otherwisetransferred to the digital wallet of the recipient device 358.

FIG. 4A illustrates a process 400A of tracking a content-based asset asit moves downstream according to example embodiments, and FIG. 4Billustrates fractional data from the transactions in FIG. 4A fortracking the asset via blockchain according to example embodiments.

The example embodiments rely on a blockchain network which manages ablockchain 410 for tracking content as it moves from one user to thenext. The blockchain 410 provides a transaction platform to transferpartial and temporary ownership for consumption and usage. Theblockchain 410 also facilitates network tracking of assets as they movefrom one user to the next providing transparency over the users thatconsume the content. The blockchain 410 may include a smart contractwhich tracks a piece of content by a unique ID. Here, the smart contractmay maintain unique IDs of all pieces of content (assets) when theybecome created. Although not shown in FIG. 4A, a world state databasemay store a most up-to-date value of an asset such as the current owner(or fractional ownership) allocated to an asset. The world state may beaccessed each time a new instance of the asset is consumed and recordedon the blockchain. This enables updated fractional values to begenerated. The blockchain 410 is central to asset creation, movement andvalue movement which are tracked on chain.

Referring to FIG. 4A, a first block 420 on the chain stores an initialrecording of a piece of content (asset). The initial recording may be atransaction or other storage request which includes an identifier of thecontent 421 which is unique on the blockchain 410, an identifier of theowner 423, metadata 422 providing information about usage restrictions,etc., compensation rights to downstream users, and the like. Eachtransaction may be recorded after going through a successful endorsementprocess, such as shown in the example of FIG. 2B.

FIG. 4B illustrates an example of the block content that may be includedin a transaction and stored in the block 420. For example, the contentmay be assigned the unique identifier 421 by blockchain chaincode. Inthis example, the metadata 422 may include permissions and restrictionsfor using and consuming the content. Furthermore, fractional values 424representing ownership over the piece of content may also be recordedwithin the block. Here, the fractional values 424 may be included withinthe metadata 422, but are shown separately for convenience.

Referring again to FIG. 4A, when an instance of the content is consumedby a second user, the consumption is recorded on the blockchain 410 inblock 430. In this case, the consumption is by a different user than theoriginal owner of the content identified by user ID 423 in the block420. Therefore, the blockchain (e.g., a smart contract, etc.) mayallocate fractional ownership in the content to the consuming user. Thisinformation can be recorded in the block 430. For example, as shown inFIG. 4B, a user ID field 433 includes a new/different value to reflectthe second user, and the fractional value field 434 includes a new valuerepresenting splitting of the value of the asset among the first andsecond users. Meanwhile, the values of the asset identifier 421 and 431are the same. Thus, the content can continue to be tracked downstreambecause the asset identifier 421 and 431 can be tracked.

Furthermore, referring again to FIG. 4A, when a second instance of thecontent is consumed by a third user, the consumption is also recorded onthe blockchain 410 in block 440. Here, the content identifier remainsthe same as content identifier 441 is the same as content identifiers421 and 431. However, a user ID 443 and a fractional value field 444 areupdated to reflect the new user (user 3). This process may continue tobe repeated indefinitely or for a predetermined number of times whichmay be defined in the metadata field 422, 432, and 442. Likewise, thefractional values may be updated to include a new user as part of theownership. This can create a long-tail distribution chain in whichownership rights can be tracked in a fractional way.

FIG. 4C illustrates a template 450 for storing content based on acontent type according to example embodiments. According to variousembodiments, each asset type may include its own template on theblockchain. Asset types (content types) may include songs, movies,writings, blogs, and the like. In the example of FIG. 4C, a songtemplate 450 is shown which includes different components 451, 452, 453,and 454 of a song. The components are just for purposes of example andother components may be used. Furthermore, the song template 450 alsoincludes metadata which includes fractional values 455 assigned tousers, compensation rights 456, and restrictions 457.

In the example embodiments, the blockchain framework such as Hyperledgerfabric, Ethereum, EOS and like, may include asset tokenizationcapability thereby turning different types of content into trackableassets on the blockchain. A user may interact with a user interface (notshown) to identify portions of the content and create a trackable asset.Here, the user may interact with a web or mobile portal. As a result, auser has the ability to use blockchain to induce transparency as a the“digital asset” is used and the usage is tracked. The tracking alsofacilitates the usage, accounting and eventually distribution which isan opaque process today.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method 500 of tracking content downstream viablockchain according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 5, in510, the method may include storing, within a blockchain, a requestcomprising an identifier of content and a value of a user who createdthe content. For example, the identifier of the content may include anasset ID or content ID that is unique to the blockchain thereby enablingtracking of the content. In some embodiments, an identifier of thecontent owner, usage restrictions, and the like, may also be stored withthe content. In some embodiments, the content may comprise a work of artsuch as music, film, a writing (book, blog, tweet, etc.), an image, adrawing, a painting, and the like, which are capable of reuse/copying.

In 520, the method may include detecting consumption of a reusableinstance of the content by a second user. For example, the consumptionmay include a download, a copy being generated, a new piece of contentbeing generated based on or including the original content, and thelike. In some embodiments, the detecting may include detectingincorporation of the reusable instance into a new piece of content Insome embodiments, the method may further include dividing the contentinto a plurality of reusable fractional components. Here, eachfractional component can be used independently of the others enablingonly a portion of the content to be consumed rather than an entireportion of the content. This provides for sampling or partial sharing ofthe content. Furthermore, the value assigned to the user that onlyconsumes a part of an instance of the content may be different than thevalue assigned to the user that consumes an instance of the wholecontent.

In 530, the method may include designating fractional values of thecontent to the first and second users based on the detected consumptionof the reusable instance. Furthermore, in 540 the method may includestoring, within the blockchain, a second request comprising anidentifier of the reusable instance of the content, identifiers of thefirst and second users, and the designated fractional values of thecontent to the first and second users. In some embodiments, thedesignating may include designating a fractional value of the reusableinstance to the second user based on which fractional components of thecontent are consumed by the second user.

In some embodiments, the designating may further include determiningwhether the consumption of the reusable instance of the content ispermitted based on metadata of the content stored within the blockchainrequest, and designating the fractional values in response todetermining the consumption is permitted. In some embodiments, theblockchain may store the instance of the content based on a predefinedclass of the content, and the class may include a template of attributesbased on content type. In some embodiments, the method may furtherinclude detecting consumption of a reusable sub-instance of the contentby a third user. In this example, the method may further includedesignating respective sub-fractional values of the content to thefirst, second and third users, and storing, via the blockchain, a thirdrequest comprising an identifier of the reusable sub-instance and thesub-fractional values.

In some embodiments, the storage may store a transaction that comprisesan identifier of content and metadata comprising restrictions of use ofthe content. In this example, chaincode may receive a request to consumea downstream reusable instance of the content. In response, thechaincode may read restrictions/permissions on the content from metadataof the content stored on the blockchain. If the chaincode detects thatthe request to consume the downstream reusable instance is prohibitedbased on the restrictions within the metadata on the blockchain, thechaincode may generate a disapproval denying the use of the content andtransmitting a response indicating the request has been prohibited to acomputing system associated with the request.

FIG. 6A illustrates an example system 600 that includes a physicalinfrastructure 610 configured to perform various operations according toexample embodiments. Referring to FIG. 6A, the physical infrastructure610 includes a module 612 and a module 614. The module 614 includes ablockchain 620 and a smart contract 630 (which may reside on theblockchain 620), that may execute any of the operational steps 608 (inmodule 612) included in any of the example embodiments. Thesteps/operations 608 may include one or more of the embodimentsdescribed or depicted and may represent output or written informationthat is written or read from one or more smart contracts 630 and/orblockchains 620. The physical infrastructure 610, the module 612, andthe module 614 may include one or more computers, servers, processors,memories, and/or wireless communication devices. Further, the module 612and the module 614 may be a same module.

FIG. 6B illustrates another example system 640 configured to performvarious operations according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG.6B, the system 640 includes a module 612 and a module 614. The module614 includes a blockchain 620 and a smart contract 630 (which may resideon the blockchain 620), that may execute any of the operational steps608 (in module 612) included in any of the example embodiments. Thesteps/operations 608 may include one or more of the embodimentsdescribed or depicted and may represent output or written informationthat is written or read from one or more smart contracts 630 and/orblockchains 620. The physical infrastructure 610, the module 612, andthe module 614 may include one or more computers, servers, processors,memories, and/or wireless communication devices. Further, the module 612and the module 614 may be a same module.

FIG. 6C illustrates an example system configured to utilize a smartcontract configuration among contracting parties and a mediating serverconfigured to enforce the smart contract terms on the blockchainaccording to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 6C, theconfiguration 650 may represent a communication session, an assettransfer session or a process or procedure that is driven by a smartcontract 630 which explicitly identifies one or more user devices 652and/or 656. The execution, operations and results of the smart contractexecution may be managed by a server 654. Content of the smart contract630 may require digital signatures by one or more of the entities 652and 656 which are parties to the smart contract transaction. The resultsof the smart contract execution may be written to a blockchain 620 as ablockchain transaction. The smart contract 630 resides on the blockchain620 which may reside on one or more computers, servers, processors,memories, and/or wireless communication devices.

FIG. 6D illustrates a system 660 including a blockchain, according toexample embodiments. Referring to the example of FIG. 6D, an applicationprogramming interface (API) gateway 662 provides a common interface foraccessing blockchain logic (e.g., smart contract 630 or other chaincode)and data (e.g., distributed ledger, etc.). In this example, the APIgateway 662 is a common interface for performing transactions (invoke,queries, etc.) on the blockchain by connecting one or more entities 652and 656 to a blockchain peer (i.e., server 654). Here, the server 654 isa blockchain network peer component that holds a copy of the world stateand a distributed ledger allowing clients 652 and 656 to query data onthe world state as well as submit transactions into the blockchainnetwork where, depending on the smart contract 630 and endorsementpolicy, endorsing peers will run the smart contracts 630.

The above embodiments may be implemented in hardware, in a computerprogram executed by a processor, in firmware, or in a combination of theabove. A computer program may be embodied on a computer readable medium,such as a storage medium. For example, a computer program may reside inrandom access memory (“RAM”), flash memory, read-only memory (“ROM”),erasable programmable read-only memory (“EPROM”), electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memory (“EEPROM”), registers, hard disk, aremovable disk, a compact disk read-only memory (“CD-ROM”), or any otherform of storage medium known in the art.

An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor such thatthe processor may read information from, and write information to, thestorage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integralto the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in anapplication specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”). In the alternative,the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components.

FIG. 7A illustrates a process 700 of a new block being added to adistributed ledger 720, according to example embodiments, and FIG. 7Billustrates contents of a new data block structure 730 for blockchain,according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 7A, clients (notshown) may submit transactions to blockchain nodes 711, 712, and/or 713.Clients may be instructions received from any source to enact activityon the blockchain 720. As an example, clients may be applications thatact on behalf of a requester, such as a device, person or entity topropose transactions for the blockchain. The plurality of blockchainpeers (e.g., blockchain nodes 711, 712, and 713) may maintain a state ofthe blockchain network and a copy of the distributed ledger 720.Different types of blockchain nodes/peers may be present in theblockchain network including endorsing peers which simulate and endorsetransactions proposed by clients and committing peers which verifyendorsements, validate transactions, and commit transactions to thedistributed ledger 720. In this example, the blockchain nodes 711, 712,and 713 may perform the role of endorser node, committer node, or both.

The distributed ledger 720 includes a blockchain which stores immutable,sequenced records in blocks, and a state database 724 (current worldstate) maintaining a current state of the blockchain 722. Onedistributed ledger 720 may exist per channel and each peer maintains itsown copy of the distributed ledger 720 for each channel of which theyare a member. The blockchain 722 is a transaction log, structured ashash-linked blocks where each block contains a sequence of Ntransactions. Blocks may include various components such as shown inFIG. 7B. The linking of the blocks (shown by arrows in FIG. 7A) may begenerated by adding a hash of a prior block's header within a blockheader of a current block. In this way, all transactions on theblockchain 722 are sequenced and cryptographically linked togetherpreventing tampering with blockchain data without breaking the hashlinks. Furthermore, because of the links, the latest block in theblockchain 722 represents every transaction that has come before it. Theblockchain 722 may be stored on a peer file system (local or attachedstorage), which supports an append-only blockchain workload.

The current state of the blockchain 722 and the distributed ledger 722may be stored in the state database 724. Here, the current state datarepresents the latest values for all keys ever included in the chaintransaction log of the blockchain 722. Chaincode invocations executetransactions against the current state in the state database 724. Tomake these chaincode interactions extremely efficient, the latest valuesof all keys are stored in the state database 724. The state database 724may include an indexed view into the transaction log of the blockchain722, it can therefore be regenerated from the chain at any time. Thestate database 724 may automatically get recovered (or generated ifneeded) upon peer startup, before transactions are accepted.

Endorsing nodes receive transactions from clients and endorse thetransaction based on simulated results. Endorsing nodes hold smartcontracts which simulate the transaction proposals. When an endorsingnode endorses a transaction, the endorsing nodes creates a transactionendorsement which is a signed response from the endorsing node to theclient application indicating the endorsement of the simulatedtransaction. The method of endorsing a transaction depends on anendorsement policy which may be specified within chaincode. An exampleof an endorsement policy is “the majority of endorsing peers mustendorse the transaction”. Different channels may have differentendorsement policies. Endorsed transactions are forward by the clientapplication to ordering service 710.

The ordering service 710 accepts endorsed transactions, orders them intoa block, and delivers the blocks to the committing peers. For example,the ordering service 710 may initiate a new block when a threshold oftransactions has been reached, a timer times out, or another condition.In the example of FIG. 7A, blockchain node 712 is a committing peer thathas received a new data new data block 730 for storage on blockchain720. The first block in the blockchain may be referred to as a genesisblock which includes information about the blockchain, its members, thedata stored therein, etc.

The ordering service 710 may be made up of a cluster of orderers. Theordering service 710 does not process transactions, smart contracts, ormaintain the shared ledger. Rather, the ordering service 710 may acceptthe endorsed transactions and specifies the order in which thosetransactions are committed to the distributed ledger 720. Thearchitecture of the blockchain network may be designed such that thespecific implementation of ‘ordering’ (e.g., Solo, Kafka, BFT, etc.)becomes a pluggable component.

Transactions are written to the distributed ledger 720 in a consistentorder. The order of transactions is established to ensure that theupdates to the state database 724 are valid when they are committed tothe network. Unlike a cryptocurrency blockchain system (e.g., Bitcoin,etc.) where ordering occurs through the solving of a cryptographicpuzzle, or mining, in this example the parties of the distributed ledger720 may choose the ordering mechanism that best suits that network.

When the ordering service 710 initializes a new data block 730, the newdata block 730 may be broadcast to committing peers (e.g., blockchainnodes 711, 712, and 713). In response, each committing peer validatesthe transaction within the new data block 730 by checking to make surethat the read set and the write set still match the current world statein the state database 724. Specifically, the committing peer candetermine whether the read data that existed when the endorserssimulated the transaction is identical to the current world state in thestate database 724. When the committing peer validates the transaction,the transaction is written to the blockchain 722 on the distributedledger 720, and the state database 724 is updated with the write datafrom the read-write set. If a transaction fails, that is, if thecommitting peer finds that the read-write set does not match the currentworld state in the state database 724, the transaction ordered into ablock will still be included in that block, but it will be marked asinvalid, and the state database 724 will not be updated.

Referring to FIG. 7B, a new data block 730 (also referred to as a datablock) that is stored on the blockchain 722 of the distributed ledger720 may include multiple data segments such as a block header 740, blockdata 750, and block metadata 760. It should be appreciated that thevarious depicted blocks and their contents, such as new data block 730and its contents. shown in FIG. 7B are merely examples and are not meantto limit the scope of the example embodiments. The new data block 730may store transactional information of N transaction(s) (e.g., 1, 10,100, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, etc.) within the block data 750. The newdata block 730 may also include a link to a previous block (e.g., on theblockchain 722 in FIG. 7A) within the block header 740. In particular,the block header 740 may include a hash of a previous block's header.The block header 740 may also include a unique block number, a hash ofthe block data 750 of the new data block 730, and the like. The blocknumber of the new data block 730 may be unique and assigned in variousorders, such as an incremental/sequential order starting from zero.

The block data 750 may store transactional information of eachtransaction that is recorded within the new data block 730. For example,the transaction data may include one or more of a type of thetransaction, a version, a timestamp, a channel ID of the distributedledger 720, a transaction ID, an epoch, a payload visibility, achaincode path (deploy tx), a chaincode name, a chaincode version, input(chaincode and functions), a client (creator) identify such as a publickey and certificate, a signature of the client, identities of endorsers,endorser signatures, a proposal hash, chaincode events, response status,namespace, a read set (list of key and version read by the transaction,etc.), a write set (list of key and value, etc.), a start key, an endkey, a list of keys, a Merkel tree query summary, and the like. Thetransaction data may be stored for each of the N transactions.

According to various embodiments, the block data 750 may also storedownstream tracking data 752 which may include an identifier of content,an identifier of an original owner of the content, a current owner/userof an instance of the content, fractional values allocated to each ofthe previous users of the content, permissions (e.g., tags, metadata,etc.) and the like. The downstream tracking data 752 may be used toverify that content can be copied, maintain a chain of distribution withan original owner and an preceding owner, and the like. The downstreamtracking data 752 includes one or more of the steps, features, processesand/or actions described or depicted herein. Accordingly, the downstreamtracking data 752 can be stored in an immutable log of blocks on thedistributed ledger 720. Some of the benefits of storing the downstreamtracking data 752 on the blockchain are reflected in the variousembodiments disclosed and depicted herein. Although in FIG. 7B, thedownstream tracking data 752 is depicted in the block data 750, it couldalso be located in the block header 740 or the block metadata 760.

The block metadata 760 may store multiple fields of metadata (e.g., as abyte array, etc.). Metadata fields may include signature on blockcreation, a reference to a last configuration block, a transactionfilter identifying valid and invalid transactions within the block, lastoffset persisted of an ordering service that ordered the block, and thelike. The signature, the last configuration block, and the orderermetadata may be added by the ordering service 710. Meanwhile, acommitter of the block (such as blockchain node 712) may addvalidity/invalidity information based on an endorsement policy,verification of read/write sets, and the like. The transaction filtermay include a byte array of a size equal to the number of transactionsin the block data 750 and a validation code identifying whether atransaction was valid/invalid. In some embodiments, although not shownin FIG. 7B, the block metadata 760 may store metadata of the recommendedsmart contracts there within.

FIG. 7C illustrates an embodiment of a blockchain 770 for digitalcontent in accordance with the embodiments described herein. The digitalcontent may include one or more files and associated information. Thefiles may include media, images, video, audio, text, links, graphics,animations, web pages, documents, or other forms of digital content. Theimmutable, append-only aspects of the blockchain serve as a safeguard toprotect the integrity, validity, and authenticity of the digitalcontent, making it suitable use in legal proceedings where admissibilityrules apply or other settings where evidence is taken in toconsideration or where the presentation and use of digital informationis otherwise of interest. In this case, the digital content may bereferred to as digital evidence.

The blockchain may be formed in various ways. In one embodiment, thedigital content may be included in and accessed from the blockchainitself. For example, each block of the blockchain may store a hash valueof reference information (e.g., header, value, etc.) along theassociated digital content. The hash value and associated digitalcontent may then be encrypted together. Thus, the digital content ofeach block may be accessed by decrypting each block in the blockchain,and the hash value of each block may be used as a basis to reference aprevious block. This may be illustrated as follows:

Block 1 Block 2 . . . Block N Hash Value 1 Hash Value 2 Hash Value NDigital Content 1 Digital Content 2 Digital Content N

In one embodiment, the digital content may be not included in theblockchain. For example, the blockchain may store the encrypted hashesof the content of each block without any of the digital content. Thedigital content may be stored in another storage area or memory addressin association with the hash value of the original file. The otherstorage area may be the same storage device used to store the blockchainor may be a different storage area or even a separate relationaldatabase. The digital content of each block may be referenced oraccessed by obtaining or querying the hash value of a block of interestand then looking up that has value in the storage area, which is storedin correspondence with the actual digital content. This operation may beperformed, for example, a database gatekeeper. This may be illustratedas follows:

Blockchain Storage Area Block 1 Hash Value Block 1 Hash Value . . .Content . . . . . . Block N Hash Value Block N Hash Value . . . Content

In the example embodiment of FIG. 7C, the blockchain 770 includes anumber of blocks 778 ₁, 778 ₂, . . . 778 _(N) cryptographically linkedin an ordered sequence, where N≥1. The encryption used to link theblocks 778 ₁, 778 ₂, . . . 778 _(N) may be any of a number of keyed orun-keyed Hash functions. In one embodiment, the blocks 778 ₁, 778 ₂, . .. 778 _(N) are subject to a hash function which produces n-bitalphanumeric outputs (where n is 256 or another number) from inputs thatare based on information in the blocks. Examples of such a hash functioninclude, but are not limited to, a SHA-type (SHA stands for Secured HashAlgorithm) algorithm, Merkle-Damgard algorithm, HAIFA algorithm,Merkle-tree algorithm, nonce-based algorithm, and anon-collision-resistant PRF algorithm. In another embodiment, the blocks778 ₁, 778 ₂, . . . , 778 _(N) may be cryptographically linked by afunction that is different from a hash function. For purposes ofillustration, the following description is made with reference to a hashfunction, e.g., SHA-2.

Each of the blocks 778 ₁, 778 ₂, . . . , 778 _(N) in the blockchainincludes a header, a version of the file, and a value. The header andthe value are different for each block as a result of hashing in theblockchain. In one embodiment, the value may be included in the header.As described in greater detail below, the version of the file may be theoriginal file or a different version of the original file.

The first block 778 ₁ in the blockchain is referred to as the genesisblock and includes the header 772 ₁, original file 774 ₁, and an initialvalue 776 ₁. The hashing scheme used for the genesis block, and indeedin all subsequent blocks, may vary. For example, all the information inthe first block 778 ₁ may be hashed together and at one time, or each ora portion of the information in the first block 778 ₁ may be separatelyhashed and then a hash of the separately hashed portions may beperformed.

The header 772 ₁ may include one or more initial parameters, which, forexample, may include a version number, timestamp, nonce, rootinformation, difficulty level, consensus protocol, duration, mediaformat, source, descriptive keywords, and/or other informationassociated with original file 774 ₁ and/or the blockchain. The header772 ₁ may be generated automatically (e.g., by blockchain networkmanaging software) or manually by a blockchain participant. Unlike theheader in other blocks 778 ₂ to 778 _(N) in the blockchain, the header772 ₁ in the genesis block does not reference a previous block, simplybecause there is no previous block.

The original file 774 ₁ in the genesis block may be, for example, dataas captured by a device with or without processing prior to itsinclusion in the blockchain. The original file 774 ₁ is received throughthe interface of the system from the device, media source, or node. Theoriginal file 774 ₁ is associated with metadata, which, for example, maybe generated by a user, the device, and/or the system processor, eithermanually or automatically. The metadata may be included in the firstblock 778 ₁ in association with the original file 774 ₁.

The value 776 ₁ in the genesis block is an initial value generated basedon one or more unique attributes of the original file 774 ₁. In oneembodiment, the one or more unique attributes may include the hash valuefor the original file 774 ₁, metadata for the original file 774 ₁, andother information associated with the file. In one implementation, theinitial value 776 ₁ may be based on the following unique attributes:

-   -   1) SHA-2 computed hash value for the original file    -   2) originating device ID    -   3) starting timestamp for the original file    -   4) initial storage location of the original file    -   5) blockchain network member ID for software to currently        control the original file and associated metadata

The other blocks 778 ₂ to 778 _(N) in the blockchain also have headers,files, and values. However, unlike the first block 772 ₁, each of theheaders 772 ₂ to 772 _(N) in the other blocks includes the hash value ofan immediately preceding block. The hash value of the immediatelypreceding block may be just the hash of the header of the previous blockor may be the hash value of the entire previous block. By including thehash value of a preceding block in each of the remaining blocks, a tracecan be performed from the Nth block back to the genesis block (and theassociated original file) on a block-by-block basis, as indicated byarrows 780, to establish an auditable and immutable chain-of-custody.

Each of the header 772 ₂ to 772 _(N) in the other blocks may alsoinclude other information, e.g., version number, timestamp, nonce, rootinformation, difficulty level, consensus protocol, and/or otherparameters or information associated with the corresponding files and/orthe blockchain in general.

The files 774 ₂ to 774 _(N) in the other blocks may be equal to theoriginal file or may be a modified version of the original file in thegenesis block depending, for example, on the type of processingperformed. The type of processing performed may vary from block toblock. The processing may involve, for example, any modification of afile in a preceding block, such as redacting information or otherwisechanging the content of, taking information away from, or adding orappending information to the files.

Additionally, or alternatively, the processing may involve merelycopying the file from a preceding block, changing a storage location ofthe file, analyzing the file from one or more preceding blocks, movingthe file from one storage or memory location to another, or performingaction relative to the file of the blockchain and/or its associatedmetadata. Processing which involves analyzing a file may include, forexample, appending, including, or otherwise associating variousanalytics, statistics, or other information associated with the file.

The values in each of the other blocks 776 ₂ to 776 _(N) in the otherblocks are unique values and are all different as a result of theprocessing performed. For example, the value in any one blockcorresponds to an updated version of the value in the previous block.The update is reflected in the hash of the block to which the value isassigned. The values of the blocks therefore provide an indication ofwhat processing was performed in the blocks and also permit a tracingthrough the blockchain back to the original file. This tracking confirmsthe chain-of-custody of the file throughout the entire blockchain.

For example, consider the case where portions of the file in a previousblock are redacted, blocked out, or pixelated in order to protect theidentity of a person shown in the file. In this case, the blockincluding the redacted file will include metadata associated with theredacted file, e.g., how the redaction was performed, who performed theredaction, timestamps where the redaction(s) occurred, etc. The metadatamay be hashed to form the value. Because the metadata for the block isdifferent from the information that was hashed to form the value in theprevious block, the values are different from one another and may berecovered when decrypted.

In one embodiment, the value of a previous block may be updated (e.g., anew hash value computed) to form the value of a current block when anyone or more of the following occurs. The new hash value may be computedby hashing all or a portion of the information noted below, in thisexample embodiment.

-   -   a) new SHA-2 computed hash value if the file has been processed        in any way (e.g., if the file was redacted, copied, altered,        accessed, or some other action was taken)    -   b) new storage location for the file    -   c) new metadata identified associated with the file    -   d) transfer of access or control of the file from one blockchain        participant to another blockchain participant

FIG. 7D illustrates an embodiment of a block which may represent thestructure of the blocks in the blockchain 790 in accordance with oneembodiment. The block, Block_(i), includes a header 772 _(i), a file 774_(i), and a value 776 _(i).

The header 772 ₁ includes a hash value of a previous block Block_(i-1)and additional reference information, which, for example, may be any ofthe types of information (e.g., header information including references,characteristics, parameters, etc.) discussed herein. All blocksreference the hash of a previous block except, of course, the genesisblock. The hash value of the previous block may be just a hash of theheader in the previous block or a hash of all or a portion of theinformation in the previous block, including the file and metadata.

The file 774 ₁ includes a plurality of data, such as Data 1, Data 2, . .. , Data N in sequence. The data are tagged with metadata Metadata 1,Metadata 2, . . . , Metadata N which describe the content and/orcharacteristics associated with the data. For example, the metadata foreach data may include information to indicate a timestamp for the data,process the data, keywords indicating the persons or other contentdepicted in the data, and/or other features that may be helpful toestablish the validity and content of the file as a whole, andparticularly its use a digital evidence, for example, as described inconnection with an embodiment discussed below. In addition to themetadata, each data may be tagged with reference REF₁, REF₂, . . . ,REF_(N) to a previous data to prevent tampering, gaps in the file, andsequential reference through the file.

Once the metadata is assigned to the data (e.g., through a smartcontract), the metadata cannot be altered without the hash changing,which can easily be identified for invalidation. The metadata, thus,creates a data log of information that may be accessed for use byparticipants in the blockchain.

The value 776 _(i) is a hash value or other value computed based on anyof the types of information previously discussed. For example, for anygiven block Block_(i), the value for that block may be updated toreflect the processing that was performed for that block, e.g., new hashvalue, new storage location, new metadata for the associated file,transfer of control or access, identifier, or other action orinformation to be added. Although the value in each block is shown to beseparate from the metadata for the data of the file and header, thevalue may be based, in part or whole, on this metadata in anotherembodiment.

Once the blockchain 770 is formed, at any point in time, the immutablechain-of-custody for the file may be obtained by querying the blockchainfor the transaction history of the values across the blocks. This query,or tracking procedure, may begin with decrypting the value of the blockthat is most currently included (e.g., the last (N^(th)) block), andthen continuing to decrypt the value of the other blocks until thegenesis block is reached and the original file is recovered. Thedecryption may involve decrypting the headers and files and associatedmetadata at each block, as well.

Decryption is performed based on the type of encryption that took placein each block. This may involve the use of private keys, public keys, ora public key-private key pair. For example, when asymmetric encryptionis used, blockchain participants or a processor in the network maygenerate a public key and private key pair using a predeterminedalgorithm. The public key and private key are associated with each otherthrough some mathematical relationship. The public key may bedistributed publicly to serve as an address to receive messages fromother users, e.g., an IP address or home address. The private key iskept secret and used to digitally sign messages sent to other blockchainparticipants. The signature is included in the message so that therecipient can verify using the public key of the sender. This way, therecipient can be sure that only the sender could have sent this message.

Generating a key pair may be analogous to creating an account on theblockchain, but without having to actually register anywhere. Also,every transaction that is executed on the blockchain is digitally signedby the sender using their private key. This signature ensures that onlythe owner of the account can track and process (if within the scope ofpermission determined by a smart contract) the file of the blockchain.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate additional examples of use cases forblockchain which may be incorporated and used herein. In particular,FIG. 8A illustrates an example 800 of a blockchain 810 which storesmachine learning (artificial intelligence) data. Machine learning relieson vast quantities of historical data (or training data) to buildpredictive models for accurate prediction on new data. Machine learningsoftware (e.g., neural networks, etc.) can often sift through millionsof records to unearth non-intuitive patterns.

In the example of FIG. 8A, a host platform 820 builds and deploys amachine learning model for predictive monitoring of assets 830. Here,the host platform 820 may be a cloud platform, an industrial server, aweb server, a personal computer, a user device, and the like. Assets 830can be any type of asset (e.g., machine or equipment, etc.) such as anaircraft, locomotive, turbine, medical machinery and equipment, oil andgas equipment, boats, ships, vehicles, and the like. As another example,assets 830 may be non-tangible assets such as stocks, currency, digitalcoins, insurance, or the like.

The blockchain 810 can be used to significantly improve both a trainingprocess 802 of the machine learning model and a predictive process 804based on a trained machine learning model. For example, in 802, ratherthan requiring a data scientist/engineer or other user to collect thedata, historical data may be stored by the assets 830 themselves (orthrough an intermediary, not shown) on the blockchain 810. This cansignificantly reduce the collection time needed by the host platform 820when performing predictive model training. For example, using smartcontracts, data can be directly and reliably transferred straight fromits place of origin to the blockchain 810. By using the blockchain 810to ensure the security and ownership of the collected data, smartcontracts may directly send the data from the assets to the individualsthat use the data for building a machine learning model. This allows forsharing of data among the assets 830.

The collected data may be stored in the blockchain 810 based on aconsensus mechanism. The consensus mechanism pulls in (permissionednodes) to ensure that the data being recorded is verified and accurate.The data recorded is time-stamped, cryptographically signed, andimmutable. It is therefore auditable, transparent, and secure. AddingIoT devices which write directly to the blockchain can, in certain cases(i.e. supply chain, healthcare, logistics, etc.), increase both thefrequency and accuracy of the data being recorded.

Furthermore, training of the machine learning model on the collecteddata may take rounds of refinement and testing by the host platform 820.Each round may be based on additional data or data that was notpreviously considered to help expand the knowledge of the machinelearning model. In 802, the different training and testing steps (andthe data associated therewith) may be stored on the blockchain 810 bythe host platform 820. Each refinement of the machine learning model(e.g., changes in variables, weights, etc.) may be stored on theblockchain 810. This provides verifiable proof of how the model wastrained and what data was used to train the model. Furthermore, when thehost platform 820 has achieved a finally trained model, the resultingmodel may be stored on the blockchain 810.

After the model has been trained, it may be deployed to a liveenvironment where it can make predictions/decisions based on theexecution of the final trained machine learning model. For example, in804, the machine learning model may be used for condition-basedmaintenance (CBM) for an asset such as an aircraft, a wind turbine, ahealthcare machine, and the like. In this example, data fed back fromthe asset 830 may be input the machine learning model and used to makeevent predictions such as failure events, error codes, and the like.Determinations made by the execution of the machine learning model atthe host platform 820 may be stored on the blockchain 810 to provideauditable/verifiable proof. As one non-limiting example, the machinelearning model may predict a future breakdown/failure to a part of theasset 830 and create alert or a notification to replace the part. Thedata behind this decision may be stored by the host platform 820 on theblockchain 810. In one embodiment the features and/or the actionsdescribed and/or depicted herein can occur on or with respect to theblockchain 810.

New transactions for a blockchain can be gathered together into a newblock and added to an existing hash value. This is then encrypted tocreate a new hash for the new block. This is added to the next list oftransactions when they are encrypted, and so on. The result is a chainof blocks that each contain the hash values of all preceding blocks.Computers that store these blocks regularly compare their hash values toensure that they are all in agreement. Any computer that does not agree,discards the records that are causing the problem. This approach is goodfor ensuring tamper-resistance of the blockchain, but it is not perfect.

One way to game this system is for a dishonest user to change the listof transactions in their favor, but in a way that leaves the hashunchanged. This can be done by brute force, in other words by changing arecord, encrypting the result, and seeing whether the hash value is thesame. And if not, trying again and again and again until it finds a hashthat matches. The security of blockchains is based on the belief thatordinary computers can only perform this kind of brute force attack overtime scales that are entirely impractical, such as the age of theuniverse. By contrast, quantum computers are much faster (1000s of timesfaster) and consequently pose a much greater threat.

FIG. 8B illustrates an example 850 of a quantum-secure blockchain 852which implements quantum key distribution (QKD) to protect against aquantum computing attack. In this example, blockchain users can verifyeach other's identities using QKD. This sends information using quantumparticles such as photons, which cannot be copied by an eavesdropperwithout destroying them. In this way, a sender and a receiver throughthe blockchain can be sure of each other's identity.

In the example of FIG. 8B, four users are present 854, 856, 858, and860. Each of pair of users may share a secret key 862 (i.e., a QKD)between themselves. Since there are four nodes in this example, sixpairs of nodes exists, and therefore six different secret keys 862 areused including QKD_(AB), QKD_(AC), QKD_(AD), QKD_(BC), QKD_(BD), andQKD_(CD). Each pair can create a QKD by sending information usingquantum particles such as photons, which cannot be copied by aneavesdropper without destroying them. In this way, a pair of users canbe sure of each other's identity.

The operation of the blockchain 852 is based on two procedures (i)creation of transactions, and (ii) construction of blocks that aggregatethe new transactions. New transactions may be created similar to atraditional blockchain network. Each transaction may contain informationabout a sender, a receiver, a time of creation, an amount (or value) tobe transferred, a list of reference transactions that justifies thesender has funds for the operation, and the like. This transactionrecord is then sent to all other nodes where it is entered into a poolof unconfirmed transactions. Here, two parties (i.e., a pair of usersfrom among 854-860) authenticate the transaction by providing theirshared secret key 862 (QKD). This quantum signature can be attached toevery transaction making it exceedingly difficult to tamper with. Eachnode checks their entries with respect to a local copy of the blockchain852 to verify that each transaction has sufficient funds. However, thetransactions are not yet confirmed.

Rather than perform a traditional mining process on the blocks, theblocks may be created in a decentralized manner using a broadcastprotocol. At a predetermined period of time (e.g., seconds, minutes,hours, etc.) the network may apply the broadcast protocol to anyunconfirmed transaction thereby to achieve a Byzantine agreement(consensus) regarding a correct version of the transaction. For example,each node may possess a private value (transaction data of thatparticular node). In a first round, nodes transmit their private valuesto each other. In subsequent rounds, nodes communicate the informationthey received in the previous round from other nodes. Here, honest nodesare able to create a complete set of transactions within a new block.This new block can be added to the blockchain 852. In one embodiment thefeatures and/or the actions described and/or depicted herein can occuron or with respect to the blockchain 852.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example system 900 that supports one or more ofthe example embodiments described and/or depicted herein. The system 900comprises a computer system/server 902, which is operational withnumerous other general purpose or special purpose computing systemenvironments or configurations. Examples of well-known computingsystems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable foruse with computer system/server 902 include, but are not limited to,personal computer systems, server computer systems, thin clients, thickclients, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems,microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumerelectronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems, mainframe computersystems, and distributed cloud computing environments that include anyof the above systems or devices, and the like.

Computer system/server 902 may be described in the general context ofcomputer system-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer system. Generally, program modules may includeroutines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and soon that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes. Computer system/server 902 may be practiced in distributed cloudcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked through a communications network. In adistributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be locatedin both local and remote computer system storage media including memorystorage devices.

As shown in FIG. 9, computer system/server 902 in cloud computing node900 is shown in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Thecomponents of computer system/server 902 may include, but are notlimited to, one or more processors or processing units 904, a systemmemory 906, and a bus that couples various system components includingsystem memory 906 to processor 904.

The bus represents one or more of any of several types of busstructures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheralbus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus usingany of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and notlimitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture(ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA)bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, andPeripheral Component Interconnects (PCI) bus.

Computer system/server 902 typically includes a variety of computersystem readable media. Such media may be any available media that isaccessible by computer system/server 902, and it includes both volatileand non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. System memory906, in one embodiment, implements the flow diagrams of the otherfigures. The system memory 906 can include computer system readablemedia in the form of volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM)910 and/or cache memory 912. Computer system/server 902 may furtherinclude other removable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computersystem storage media. By way of example only, storage system 914 can beprovided for reading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatilemagnetic media (not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Althoughnot shown, a magnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to aremovable, non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and anoptical disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable,non-volatile optical disk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other opticalmedia can be provided. In such instances, each can be connected to thebus by one or more data media interfaces. As will be further depictedand described below, memory 906 may include at least one program producthaving a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules that are configuredto carry out the functions of various embodiments of the application.

Program/utility 916, having a set (at least one) of program modules 918,may be stored in memory 906 by way of example, and not limitation, aswell as an operating system, one or more application programs, otherprogram modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one ormore application programs, other program modules, and program data orsome combination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules 918 generally carry out the functionsand/or methodologies of various embodiments of the application asdescribed herein.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentapplication may be embodied as a system, method, or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present application may take theform of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present application may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Computer system/server 902 may also communicate with one or moreexternal devices 920 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display922, etc.; one or more devices that enable a user to interact withcomputer system/server 902; and/or any devices (e.g., network card,modem, etc.) that enable computer system/server 902 to communicate withone or more other computing devices. Such communication can occur viaI/O interfaces 924. Still yet, computer system/server 902 cancommunicate with one or more networks such as a local area network(LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g.,the Internet) via network adapter 926. As depicted, network adapter 926communicates with the other components of computer system/server 902 viaa bus. It should be understood that although not shown, other hardwareand/or software components could be used in conjunction with computersystem/server 902. Examples, include, but are not limited to: microcode,device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays,RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storage systems, etc.

Although an exemplary embodiment of at least one of a system, method,and non-transitory computer readable medium has been illustrated in theaccompanied drawings and described in the foregoing detaileddescription, it will be understood that the application is not limitedto the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements,modifications, and substitutions as set forth and defined by thefollowing claims. For example, the capabilities of the system of thevarious figures can be performed by one or more of the modules orcomponents described herein or in a distributed architecture and mayinclude a transmitter, receiver or pair of both. For example, all orpart of the functionality performed by the individual modules, may beperformed by one or more of these modules. Further, the functionalitydescribed herein may be performed at various times and in relation tovarious events, internal or external to the modules or components. Also,the information sent between various modules can be sent between themodules via at least one of: a data network, the Internet, a voicenetwork, an Internet Protocol network, a wireless device, a wired deviceand/or via plurality of protocols. Also, the messages sent or receivedby any of the modules may be sent or received directly and/or via one ormore of the other modules.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that a “system” could be embodiedas a personal computer, a server, a console, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a cell phone, a tablet computing device, a smartphoneor any other suitable computing device, or combination of devices.Presenting the above-described functions as being performed by a“system” is not intended to limit the scope of the present applicationin any way but is intended to provide one example of many embodiments.Indeed, methods, systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may beimplemented in localized and distributed forms consistent with computingtechnology.

It should be noted that some of the system features described in thisspecification have been presented as modules, in order to moreparticularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, amodule may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom verylarge-scale integration (VLSI) circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelfsemiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discretecomponents. A module may also be implemented in programmable hardwaredevices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable arraylogic, programmable logic devices, graphics processing units, or thelike.

A module may also be at least partially implemented in software forexecution by various types of processors. An identified unit ofexecutable code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical orlogical blocks of computer instructions that may, for instance, beorganized as an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, theexecutables of an identified module need not be physically locatedtogether but may comprise disparate instructions stored in differentlocations which, when joined logically together, comprise the module andachieve the stated purpose for the module. Further, modules may bestored on a computer-readable medium, which may be, for instance, a harddisk drive, flash device, random access memory (RAM), tape, or any othersuch medium used to store data.

Indeed, a module of executable code could be a single instruction, ormany instructions, and may even be distributed over several differentcode segments, among different programs, and across several memorydevices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustratedherein within modules and may be embodied in any suitable form andorganized within any suitable type of data structure. The operationaldata may be collected as a single data set or may be distributed overdifferent locations including over different storage devices, and mayexist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system ornetwork.

It will be readily understood that the components of the application, asgenerally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may bearranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations.Thus, the detailed description of the embodiments is not intended tolimit the scope of the application as claimed but is merelyrepresentative of selected embodiments of the application.

One having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that theabove may be practiced with steps in a different order, and/or withhardware elements in configurations that are different than those whichare disclosed. Therefore, although the application has been describedbased upon these preferred embodiments, it would be apparent to those ofskill in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternativeconstructions would be apparent.

While preferred embodiments of the present application have beendescribed, it is to be understood that the embodiments described areillustrative only and the scope of the application is to be definedsolely by the appended claims when considered with a full range ofequivalents and modifications (e.g., protocols, hardware devices,software platforms etc.) thereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a storage configured tostore, within a blockchain, a request that comprises an identifier ofcontent and a value of a user who created the content; and a processorconfigured to detect consumption of a reusable instance of the contentby a second user, designate fractional values of the content to thefirst and second users based on the detected consumption of the reusableinstance, and store, within the blockchain, a second request thatcomprises an identifier of the reusable instance of the content,identifiers of the first and second users, and the designated fractionalvalues to the first and second users.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the content comprises at least one of a writing, a video file,an audio file, and an image.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theprocessor is further configured to divide the content into a pluralityof reusable fractional components.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, whereinthe processor is configured to designate a fractional value of thereusable instance to the second user based on which fractionalcomponents of the content are consumed by the second user.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to detectincorporation of the reusable instance into a new piece of content. 6.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured todetermine whether the consumption of the reusable instance of thecontent is permitted based on metadata of the content stored within theblockchain request, and designate the fractional values in response to adetermination that the consumption is permitted.
 7. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the blockchain stores the instance of the content basedon a predefined class of the content, and the class comprises a templateof attributes based on content type.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the processor is further configured to detect consumption of areusable sub-instance of the content by a third user.
 9. The apparatusof claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to designaterespective sub-fractional values of the content to the first, second andthird users, and store, via the blockchain, a third request thatcomprises an identifier of the reusable sub-instance of the content andthe sub-fractional values.
 10. A method comprising: storing, within ablockchain, a request comprising an identifier of content and a value ofa user who created the content; detecting consumption of a reusableinstance of the content by a second user; designating fractional valuesof the content to the first and second users based on the detectedconsumption of the reusable instance; and storing, within theblockchain, a second request comprising an identifier of the reusableinstance of the content, identifiers of the first and second users, andthe designated fractional values of the content to the first and secondusers.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the content comprises atleast one of a writing, a video file, an audio file, and an image. 12.The method of claim 10, further comprising dividing the content into aplurality of reusable fractional components.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein the designating comprises designating a fractional value of thereusable instance to the second user based on which fractionalcomponents of the content are consumed by the second user.
 14. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the detecting comprises detectingincorporation of the reusable instance into a new piece of content. 15.The method of claim 10, wherein the designating further comprisesdetermining whether the consumption of the reusable instance of thecontent is permitted based on metadata of the content stored within theblockchain request, and designating the fractional values in response todetermining the consumption is permitted.
 16. The method of claim 10,wherein the blockchain stores the instance of the content based on apredefined class of the content, and the class comprises a template ofattributes based on content type.
 17. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising detecting consumption of a reusable sub-instance of thecontent by a third user.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprisingdesignating respective sub-fractional values of the content to thefirst, second and third users, and storing, via the blockchain, a thirdrequest comprising an identifier of the reusable sub-instance and thesub-fractional values.
 19. An apparatus comprising: a storage configuredto store, within a blockchain, a request that comprises an identifier ofcontent and metadata comprising restrictions of use of the content; anda processor configured to receive a request to consume a downstreamreusable instance of the content, detecting that the request to consumethe downstream reusable instance is prohibited based on the restrictionswithin the metadata on the blockchain; and transmitting a responseindicating the request has been prohibited to a computing systemassociated with the request.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein thecontent comprises at least one of a writing, a video file, an audiofile, and an image.